My Fair Geisha
by sakuraflowergal
Summary: Syaoran is given the task of transforming the plain Sakura into an elegant top geisha. The problem? He only has 2 months to do the training, and at the same time, keep himself from falling in love with her...
1. The Bet

**My Fair Geisha**

By: sakuraflowergal

**Chapter 1: The Bet

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"Please, let me work here. I do anything; clean, wash, cook, anything!"

"The owner of the house is not home. Just go away, find work somewhere else." A beautiful lady with ruby red eyes and magnificent black hair chased the poor girl away.

19-year-old Sakura reluctantly walked away from the house to visit the next. She had left home to find work in the capital city of Kyoto, yet, after a week of looking and begging, work was always out of reach.

Still hopeful, the hungry girl approached the next wooden house to ask for work. Sakura slide open the paper door and poked her head into the house and saw many pairs of slippers all lined up neatly in the shoe rack. Many female voices could be heard from deep inside the house, some sounded angry, as if they were having an argument.

"Excuse me, I'm Kinomoto Sakura." Sakura called out.

A paper door of one of the rooms opened and a brown haired man appeared. "What do you want?" He asked in a harsh tone.

"I wish to work here. I'll do anything you want me to."

"There is no work for you here, go elsewhere." The man barked and turned to re-enter the room.

"Please…" Sakura pleaded. If she doesn't find a job soon, she may starve to death!

"No, now go away!" he shouted.

The paper door slide open again, this time, a young lady of her age stepped out. She may not be very pretty but her kimono was stunning. Sakura couldn't keep her eyes of the lovely garment!

"Now, that's not the way to speak to a lady." She spoke while 'gliding' to Sakura. Her beautiful kimono was not worn in a cylindrical shape like other girls. Instead, she allowed the hem to trail behind her as she moved around, making it looked like she glide, and not walk.

"I heard you wish to work. What can you do?" the lady spoke kindly.

For the first time, Sakura examined the lady's facial features and found a pair of unusual, yet enchanting violet eyes. Sakura became slightly lost in the two gems until the man coughed, which dragged her back to reality.

Sakura recollected herself and replied, "I do anything I am given to do, as long as I get some money to send home. I can be a maid, a cook, a…"

"How about geisha?"

"Huh?" Both the man and Sakura looked surprise. The paper door slide open again to reveal a row of middle-aged ladies sitting in the room.

"I have an idea." The lady turned to the man. "Why don't you train her to become a star geisha and present her to the Emperor on his birthday celebrations? That way, she will be able to earn an income for herself."

The man grunted, "What do I get for training this thing?"

"You will be officially accepted into the geisha community." The lady looked at the other ladies and received approval. "Isn't that what you want and what you need?"

He thought for a while and replied, "Deal!"

The ladies smiled and stood up to leave. As they pass by Sakura, they whispered words of luck to her. Now, only the man, the violet-eyed lady and Sakura remained in the house.

"I'll provide the things you may need: kimonos, makeup, shamisan, etc. Everything else is up to you." The lady told the man.

Turning to Sakura, "My name is Daidouji Tomoyo, a kimono maker." Tomoyo then pointed to the man. "This is Li Syaoran, a geisha trainer. Work hard, Sakura-san, and you will become a great geisha!" She then handed an envelop to Sakura. "Before you start working, you will need this. Send it home to your family."

Tomoyo then left the two strangers alone in the house.

Given the peace and quiet, Syaoran eyed the dirty girl thoroughly, examining every inch of skin. 'She needs a bath badly.' He thought. Then, her emeralds caught his eye. 'Green eyes… not bad, she just needs to learn how to use them.' Syaoran then noticed the short honey-brown hair.

"Naoko!" Syaoran called out. A maid soon appeared in front of them. "Wash her and dress her in a lady's kimono. Throw those rags away; a geisha should never be caught dead in those things!"

"Can I be given something to eat? I haven't eaten for days." Sakura asked.

"You heard her, get Rika to cook something simple. I need to bring her to the wig maker before the sun sets." Syaoran ordered.

"Hai!" Naoko chirped and brought Sakura away.

After one hour, Sakura was all clean from the refreshing bath and was satisfied by the delicious rice balls. She was dressed in a fine silk kimono that was only worn by the nobles. Just as how Tomoyo had worn her kimono, the hem of the kimono trails behind Sakura as she shuffles from room to room. Naoko had presented her with a pair of zori (slippers) to go with the kimono and taught her how to lift the skirt off the ground when she goes to the streets. As Syaoran and Sakura walk on the streets, many people stared at Sakura as she walks in an awkward manner.

"Will you walk faster? And look at the way you are walking, it's horrible!" Syaoran complained.

"Gomen nasai!" Sakura apologized and lost her concentration. A slipper fell out and she had to hop a step backwards to retrive it.

Syaoran shock his head and gave a big sigh. "I'll teach you how to walk later. Just move faster."

Sakura nodded and concentrated on the walking.

Somehow, they managed to get to the wig maker before the sun sets. When the couple entered the small wooden house, a strong smell of wax floated out. Syaoran, who was used to the smell, was unaffected. But Sakura couldn't stand the smell and had to fight the urge to hold her nose in the house.

"Yamazaki! How have you been? Where's your buddy?" Syaoran greeted a man who was busy with a wig.

"The usual. He's out sending a new wig to the almighty Meiling-san." Yamazaki replied without looking up.

"What a brat. She should know that geishas bring the wigs to the maker, not the other way round!" Syaoran commented with distaste.

"What can we do? She is the top geisha now. We just have to wait until she loses the limelight before we torture her." The busy man said, still not looking up.

"I need your help. You have to make her 3 wigs within 2 weeks."

Yamazaki heard the request and finally look up from his work. He saw Sakura and her short, brown hair and immediately understood why she needed wigs badly.

"Hey, I may be talented, but I am not god. 3 wigs in 2 weeks? I can hardly finish 1 in the same amount of time!"

"You have to do it! We don't have much time before the royal party." Syaoran said.

"Wait. She's performing in the royal party? I don't remember seeing her before. Did she come from another hanamachi (geisha community)?" Yamazaki asked as he glanced at Sakura.

"It's a long story. We'll talk some other time. Just tell me that you can make her 3 wigs in 2 weeks." Syaoran sighed.

"It's impossible to make 3 wigs from scratch in such a short time. But if you don't mind, I can reset a few old wigs to suit her."

"I'll just have to make do with it for now. But make a brand new one for the royal party. You will have about 2 months for that, okay?"

"Deal" Yamazaki said and immediately pulled Sakura away to measure her head and face. A good wig could make a round face sharp and a thin face rounder. To do so, the maker had to have the measurements of the wearer and make a mannequin which he would use as a model for the wigs.

Within minutes, Yamazaki was done with the measuring and sent the couple back on the streets.

"Who was he?" Sakura asked while she continued struggling with the zori.

"Yamazaki Takashi, one of the best wig makers around. He was born to a geisha mother but it is forbidden for males to become geisha or geisha trainers, so he studied wig making and now, he is so good, everyone in the hanamachi goes to him for wigs." Syaoran explained.

"If it is forbidden for males to become geisha trainers, why are you one?"

Syaoran paused in his steps and gave another big sigh. "I'll explain everything over dinner."

Sakura was confused by Syaoran's contradiction but said nothing and just followed him home.

"Welcome home, Otou-san." Naoko greeted by the door.

When Sakura heard 'Otou-san', she gave Syaoran a weird look while Syaoran sighed in return. (Syaoran sighs a lot!)

"Bring our dinner into my room." He ordered.

"Hai."

Naoko and Rika sent the food up to Syaoran's room, which is the biggest room of the house aside from the living room downstairs. Syaoran and Sakura settled themselves down and started eating.

"Like Yamazaki," Syaoran started, "I was born to a geisha mother. In the geisha world, which we call the Karyukai or the flower and willow world, girls are more of a treasure than boys as they can grow up to become a geisha. Boys are given a different route. Most of them become wig makers like Yamazaki, kimono makers, or dressers, who help dress the geishas up in the evening."

Syaoran paused here and drowned a cup of tea. "I had grown up by my mother's side and she was one of the most famous geisha trainers, or what we call, 'Oka-san'. Don't be confused. The geisha world is filled with sister-mother relations, this is how it is. The Oka-sans own their own okiyas (geisha houses) and all the geishas are affiliated to these okiyas."

Sakura now understood why Naoko called Syaoran 'Otou-san' although he was too young to be her father. Syaoran was a geisha trainer and owned his own okiya, but the maid clearly could not call him 'mother' and thus the change in names.

"When my mother died without a successor, I decide to quit my job as a shamisen (three-string musical instrument) teacher and take over the okiya as a geisha trainer. But as I mentioned before, males are forbidden by traditions to become geisha trainers. All the other Oka-sans, whom you have just met today, are against it. They gather here today to try and get me out of the profession. Your appearance merely gave them an opportunity to come up with an impossible challenge to force me out of the hanamachi."

Sakura nodded, finally understanding the entire situation. She also realized the difficulty of the bet if Syaoran said it was mission impossible.

There was a long silence as the two of them continued their dinner. It was only until Syaoran finished his food when he finally broke the silence.

"The training starts tomorrow. I'll prove to them that I can do something they think is impossible for me. I won't abandon the okiya without a fight!"

Sakura gave a sweet smile, "Hai!"

She stood up to leave the room for her own which Naoko had prepared. Before she close the paper door behind her, "Sleep tight, Kinomoto-san, this may be the only time you are able to sleep well in this 2 months."

When Sakura entered her new bedroom, she found that the bedding was already rolled out on the floor ready for use. A large mirror stood by the wall while small bottles of makeup sat on the small table beside it.

Naoko entered the room to help Sakura change out of her silk kimono and into a more comfortable cotton kimono. She also helped Sakura comb her hair before leaving the room for the night.

With the peace and quiet in the room, Sakura started to feel that everything was a dream. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and raised her hand to touch it. Everything was so surreal. Hours ago, she was wearing rags and starving. Now, she has a wardrobe of silk kimonos with a future as a geisha. This made her remember the envelop Tomoyo gave her in the day. She decided that she will ask Naoko to deliver it home for her tomorrow morning.

Sakura sighed and kept the envelop under her pillow. 'How are you now? Oni-chan.'

Somehow, Sakura managed to fall asleep in the unfamiliar surroundings and had a dreamless sleep. If Naoko hadn't woken her up for the morning prayers, Sakura may have slept until noon.

"From tomorrow onwards," Syaoran spoke after the prayers end, "You will wake up at 6 in the morning for the morning prayers. Breakfast will be served at 7 after you have cleaned up and dressed in your training kimono. The lessons will start at 8 or after breakfast, whichever comes first. In the evening, I will bring you to the banquets where you will sit in a corner in full costume and learn by observing. By the time we get home, it would just after midnight. You will then be settled for the night."

Sakura's eyes widened at the full schedule she would have to follow for the next 2 months.

Syaoran then continued with his words. "This will be the basic schedule for now. If you learn fast, you will have more time to yourself. If you don't, then you will continue practicing after you get home from the banquets."

Sakura nodded in understanding.

"During lessons, you will learn to sing koutas (short lyrical songs accompanied by shamisen), the dances you will perform with the other geishas that day, talk and flirt in the party, drink and play the drinking games, speak some Kyoto geisha dialect and, after seeing your walking, get comfortable in your costume."

This time, Sakura could not help but protest. "I can't do this! It's too many things to do in 2 months!"

"You're lucky I didn't include shamisen lessons! Most people master these skills only after 10 years of training. You only have 2 months. This is why I say it is an impossible challenge!"

"Fine! But I won't drink! No way are you going to force me to poison myself!"

"Nonsense! Have you ever heard a geisha who don't drink?" Syaoran shot back.

Sakura quiet down and just sighed softly. Syaoran took it as a sign of acceptance.

"Well, today will be easy. No dancing or singing. Just a day for you to get used to geisha's kimono and learn how to work in them."

After breakfast, Naoko helped Sakura change into an underkimono. Syaoran then entered the room to dress her in a geisha kimono.

"In Kyoto, there are 3 stages to a geisha. First stage is the minarai: the girl will sit in a banquet for 2 months to observe how the other geisha works. You will only have 1 week to do so. Second stage is the maiko: the girl participates in the banquet by pouring sake (Japanese rice wine) and by dancing for in the party. The word maiko means dancing girl. Most girls spend 3 to 5 years in this stage before they move on. You will get 3 weeks. The last stage is the geiko: Geiko means arts woman. To get to this stage, she must have mastered at least one of the gei (arts). Most girls choose dancing or shamisen but some may choose others like koto (thirteen-string retangular harp). Yours will be the dance. Since you will be dancing in the royal party, there is no time to nurture you for the other arts."

Sakura listened to Syaoran as she felt the silk wrapped around her and the belt tied at the chest level.

As soon as Syaoran stopped talking, Sakura realized that dressing was done. Syaoran stood aside to admire his handiwork.

"You are dressed in a hikizuri (kimono with a padded hem). Geishas wear this type of kimono to banquets." Syaoran explained as he took a pair of clogs from Naoko.

"This is okobo (4-inched high wooden clogs). Because some minarai and maiko may be as young as 10, the height of the okobo can help to boost their real height. It also serves to counter balance a maiko's ankle-length obi (belt)."

Syaoran made Sakura wear the clogs and try to walk in them. This only made Sakura fall the moment she took a step.

'Ow…how can I ever get comfortable in these?' Sakura thought as Syaoran motioned her to get up and try again.

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**To be continued **

**AN: **Did you like it? It's my first attempt to create a 'historical fiction' and it's not really good. Some practices or customs of geishas may be changed to accomodate to my story, so pleasedon't quote any part of this story as the truth to the geisha world. If you need help understanding, is an excellent source of infomation. By the way, reviews are very important to an author. (hint: hit the 'submit review' button!)


	2. A New Name

**My Fair Geisha**

By: sakuraflowergal

**Chapter 2: A New Name

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"Good! You've finally found your centre of gravity. Now, try putting your foot forward." Syaoran said when Sakura could finally balance in the okobo after 2 hours of trying.

Because of the height of the clogs, Sakura could not feel the ground beneath her, so she lifted up her foot to avoid being tripped.

"No, no, no, no, no! Don't lift your leg! Is this the first time you wear a kimono? Bend your knees slightly and turn in your feet." Syaoran instructed, resisting the urge to go right down to correct her posture.

Sakura moved into an awkward position which only served to make Syaoran yell louder.

"No! This way." Syaoran said as he demonstrated the pose himself. The result? Use your imagination!

With this vision, Sakura managed to stand exactly as how Syaoran wanted her to.

"Now, take a step forward. No, don't lift your foot high uer attitude, he looks rather good in a woman's kimono. And to add on, he moves naturally in them too! It was as if he grew up wearing them!' Sakura thought with amusement and slight admiration.

While Sakura was assessing Syaoran, he had already entered the room and put on a pair okobo.

"You just imitate my actions. How my feet shuffles as I walk around; how my arms remain still; how I hold my kimono hem out of the way." Syaoran then proceed to walk round and round the room many times.

At first, Sakura could only stare at Syaoran as he transformed from a man to a graceful women without any sign of difficulty. Then, Sakura started to learn and very soon she was able to walk properly at a relatively quick pace. Syaoran smiled a little when he saw the improvement, but sighed as he realized the sacrifices he may have to make to get Sakura to learn.

"Wonderful! I think we have just found how you learn. This also means you will see me wear this more often."

Sakura smiled at the thought and chirped "Hai!"

Syaoran caught this and corrected her, "It's hei. Kyoto geisha speaks their own dialect. You must at the very least know two words: hei for yes, and okini for thank you or excuse me."

"Hai!" Sakura replied.

"Hei." Syaoran corrected her again.

"Hei."

"I think we are done walking. Now, we'll get you in full maiko costume and see how you fare in them."

"What?" Sakura was astonished. "Is this not yet the full costume yet? This hikizuri is heavy enough. If you add any more things on me, I won't be able to move!"

"Don't worry, just some makeup and a wig will do."

Right on cue, Naoko brought in the bottles of makeup and a wig.

First, Syaoran spread a layer of binsuke oil paste which acted as foundation on the face, neck and upper back. Then he applied a thick white paste over these areas, only leaving a clean 'fork' shaped pattern on the nape of the neck. The clean 'fork' on the nape of the neck actually showed the 'sexiness', Japanese style. A red eyebrow pencil was used to highlight the eyebrows and pink powder was used on the cheeks and around the eyes. Lastly, Syaoran filled the lower lip with a pink lipstick to give the look of full lips.

At this point, Sakura sneaked a peek on the mirror and mumbled, "Op> 

"Hai!" Sakura replied.

"Hei." Syaoran corrected her again.

"Hei."

"I think we are done walking. Now, we'll get you in full maiko costume and see how you fare in them."

"What?" Sakura was astonished. "Is this not yet the full costume yet? This hikizuri is heavy enough. If you add any more things on me, I won't be able to move!"

"Don't worry, just some makeup and a wig will do."

Right on cue, Naoko brought in the bottles of makeup and a wig.

First, Syaoran spread a layer of binsuke oil paste which acted as foundation on the face, neck and upper back. Then he applied a thick white paste over these areas, only leaving a clean 'fork' shaped pattern on the nape of the neck. The clean 'fork' on the nape of the neck actually showed the 'sexiness', Japanese style. A red eyebrow pencil was used to highlight the eyebrows and pink powder was used on the cheeks and around the eyes. Lastly, Syaoran filled the lower lip with a pink lipstick to give the look of full lips.

At this point, Sakura sneaked a peek on the mirror and mumbled, "Oh my god." Her usual pearl white teeth now look horribly yellow in contrast with the white makeup. All in all, Sakura just doesn't look like Sakura anymore.

Having done the makeup, Syaoran moved on to position the wig of black hair over Sakura's honey brown hair. Pins made of silver, coral and jade were placed into the back of the bun while Syaoran added a pair of silver flutters in the front. Syaoran then proceed to reassemble the kimono which was taken off to avoid makeup stains.

Now fully costumed, Syaoran gave Sakura time to get used to the look. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she had to resist the urge to reach out and touch the reflection. The wonder of last night could not be compared to what she is feeling now. In fact, she could not be sure that the face in the mirror belonged to her or to a precious porcelain doll.

"Wonderful, isn't it? As a geisha, you represent the traditions of this great country. But geishas are not pretty dolls or prostitutes like the rest of the world thinks. Geishas are so much more. And, that means…more training!" Syaoran announced.

Surprisingly, even with the extra weight, Sakura could still move with the same grace she practiced earlier. Syaoran nodded his head with approval and thought in his heart, 'She may be slightly slower and rather clumsy, but with the right method, she can learn very fast and adapt to changes just as quick. With luck, mission impossible may be possible after all.'

"With a new look," Syaoran started, "comes a new name. I'm sorry, but there is already a geiko named Sakura so we will have to pick a new name for you. This will be the name you will use in the geisha world like how an author uses a penname."

"Hei." Sakura chirped in understanding.

"What do you want to be called? You can use any name you want. Most girls have names which follows their One-sans (sisters) who guide them through their maiko stage, like: Ichiume's One-san was Ichihana. The word 'Ichi' serves to bond them together throughout their career. Since you don't have one, you get to choose your own name. Alternatively, you can use the okiya's name 'Ko'."

Sakura thought for a while. She knew many girls have names of flowers or fruits but she wanted something special to her, something that connected with her soul.

"Kohoshi. My name will be Kohoshi."

"Good name. 'Ko' means small and 'hoshi' means star. Little Star will be your symbol. I'm sure Tomoyo-san can come up with a kimono that matches the theme."

Naoko entered the room again to bring the bottles of makeup away. "Otou-san, it's time for lunch. Shall I serve it in the room?"

"Yes. That would be great. Bring some sake with you. I would like Kohoshi-san to start her drinking training."

"Hai." And Naoko was off to fetch the food.

As efficient as a maid can ever be, Naoko and Rika had displayed lunch in a blink of the eye. Lunch was the most important meal for geishas as they could not attend a banquet with full stomach. It will impair their dancing and concentration. They also wake up too late in the morning for breakfast, thus lunch was almost like the only proper meal geishas had everyday.

"There are many different types of sake, some served cold, and some should only be taken warm. This, thankfully, is not your responsibility. Geishas are hostesses, not waitresses. Your job is not to serve the food to the guests; there are other girls for this job. Your job is to make the guests feel at home; you tell jokes when the atmosphere is too stiff; you bring a shy guest out of his shell to enjoy the evening. Geishas do not depend on their beauty like bar girls; they depend on their priceless skills that have the ability to turn a boring party into a magical night. The only common thing every banquet has is sake. And so, you must learn to drink. Unlike the guests, you don't have the privilege to be drunk at the party. You must also learn to play drinking games."

Syaoran handed Kohoshi a cup of sake. "Drink it, but not the entire cup. Unless there is an absolute need to, only take a small slip from the cup, and yet, act like you have finished the entire cup. This is the trick!"

Syaoran did a demonstration. He hid the cup from sight with the long sleeves of the kimono and tipped the cup of sake towards his mouth as if he emptied the cup in one mouthful. However, when he showed the cup to Kohoshi, it was clearly still full of sake.

Kohoshi did the same with her cup of sake and only took a small slip of the wine as instructed. But this small slip had proven to be just too much for the girl. Kohoshi only managed to return the cup onto the table before passing out.

'Oh god. This is going to be difficult!' Syaoran thought at the sight of a drunken woman.

"Naoko!" He called out and the maid immediately appeared. "Clean her up and put her to bed. I doubt she will wake up until tomorrow morning. I'm going out now and won't come back until late at night, so there is no need to prepare dinner for me."

"Hai, Otou-san."

Syaoran changed into proper attire before leaving the house. It may still be early but the amount of things he had to finish was unbelievable. First, he had to visit Tomoyo who lived just down the streets.

"Pleased to meet you, Otou-san Li." Tomoyo greeted Syaoran at the door. "Is there anything I can help you?"

"Yes. Please prepare the kimonos Kinomoto-san will need for her debut as maiko next week. Her geisha name is Kohoshi. Please prepare kimonos with the same theme."

"Next week?" Tomoyo exclaimed. "That's really soon. Is she ready for her new job?"

"Not quite. However, I will have her ready for her debut next week. Meanwhile, her minarai will start tomorrow and I hope Daidouji-san can also help prepare kimonos for this period as well."

"I'll be glad to. And if possible, I would like to have the honor of dressing Kohoshi-san for her banquets every evening too."

"Please do not trouble yourself with such minor details. You must have more important things to do." Syaoran said.

"It's no trouble at all, I want to do so."

"I thank you for your kind help, Daidouji-san." Syaoran bowed.

Tomoyo bowed back. "Would you like to stay for tea?"

"I would be delighted. But, alas, I have still many things to be completed by today to prepare for Kohoshi's minarai."

"Have you decided which Ochaya (tea house, the place where geishas work) for the minarai? I'm sure Oka-san Kikuko would be delighted to have Kohoshi-san practice at her place."

Syaoran bowed, "Thank you for your kind offer. I was going to ask Kikuko-san for her permission to allow Kohoshi's minarai at her Ochaya."

"May I call her to explain your situation?" Tomoyo offered.

"Yes. Thank you for your kindness. I should be going now. See you tomorrow evening." Syaoran bowed again, and then left the house.

(AN: I know this conversation is very rigid, but that is probably how they would speak to one another in ancient Japan.)

The next evening, Syaoran was briefing Kohoshi on the things to take note of before she starts dressing up.

"I know you are still a minarai and you should only sit in a corner observing the entire banquet. But sometimes, the customers will ask you questions or comment on your outfit, etc. You cannot just remain silence like a doll. Try to answer their questions politely, but never lie. If the questions made you uncomfortable laugh it off or just smile, don't give any direct answers. Accept all compliments with an okini. And don't drink! Tell them that you are not well enough for alcohol or get one of the customers to help you drink the cup. If you need me, just excuse yourself and go to the waiting room where I'll be there to wait for you until the banquets end."

Kohoshi nodded and her heart beats faster as the time for her first banquet drew closer.

A voice from outside the room was heard. It was Naoko and two other people.

"Otou-san, Daidouji-san and her assistant is here to help dress Kohoshi-san."

"Let them in." Syaoran ordered.

Tomoyo entered the room with a young maid who carried several boxes with her.

"Otou-san Li, I have come to dress the precious doll."

"I thank you for your help; it would have been difficult for me to dress Kohoshi-san by myself. (Customs: Syaoran can definitely dress Sakura by himself, but he is not supposed to admit that.)

"It is no trouble at all. Can you please leave the girls alone and wait next door? I'll give you a brand new Kohoshi in just a while."

Syaoran took the cue and left the room to be surprised later. Tomoyo then took the chance to introduce her maid to Kohoshi.

"This is Chiharu-chan. She helps me with my kimonos in my house."

Chiharu bowed deeply when her name was mentioned and Kohoshi bowed back politely.

"We don't have much time. Chi-chan, take the things out and hand me the oil."

The makeup process was very much similar to the one Syaoran had the day before. (So I am not going to go through it all over again.) The wig was fitted on her head and the ornaments put in its position. Tomoyo then showed her the kimono of the day.

"Your name was Sakura, so I took out this kimono from storage to match your name. Do you like it?'

In a lovely pale blue color with cherry blossoms all over it, the kimono was truly an amazing piece of art. Kohoshi reached out to fondle with the soft silk and felt it slide across her palm like flowing water. She loved it!

Tomoyo dressed her and tied the obi. The dangling ends of the belt were long, but it only reached the knees, unlike a maiko's obi which reached the ankles.

With all the accessories in place, Kohoshi was amazed that she could still stand firmly on the ground. The entire costume must have weighed at least 40 pounds!

Tomoyo stood aside and admire the art piece she had created. A moment ago, Kohoshi was just an ordinary girl. Now, she is a doll, a lady, a piece of every man's fantasies!

"You are ready for the world, Kohoshi-san."

"Okini, Daidouji-san."

"You can just call me Tomoyo. Other than the man, no other person ever calls me by my last name."

"Hei." Kohoshi replied.

"My, your Otou-san did teach you well."

"Yes, Otou-san has taught me many things." Kohoshi said, calling Syaoran 'Otou-san' for the first time.

"Well then, let's show the great man how lovely you look!"

The man was already waiting anxiously at the door, not because he wanted to see how Kohoshi looked, but because they were running late for the banquet. Nevertheless, Syaoran was still mesmerized by the green-eyed lady. For that very moment, Syaoran totally forgot that they had to leave for the banquet immediately!

"Otou-san?" Kohoshi asked and waved her hand at the frozen man.

Syaoran was awaken and surprised by the name Kohoshi called him by. However, he did not correct anything as that was how things were supposed to be done. He was also reminded of the fast-flying time.

"We have to go now! You can't be late on your first day!" Syaoran exclaimed.

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**To be continued**

**AN: **Is it good? Then, hit the review button to tell me how you feel!


	3. First Banquet

**My Fair Geisha**

By: sakuraflowergal

**Chapter 3: First Banquet

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"Please pardon my intrusion," Oka-san Kikuko said when she slid the paper door of the banquet room open. "May I introduce the ochaya's new minarai, Kohoshi-san."

She gently pushed Kohoshi into the room and whispered the word 'bow'.

Kohoshi did as she was told, "Okini, my name is Kohoshi. Dozo yoroshiku (means please offer me your teachings, used only on first meetings)."

Oka-san Kikuko then left the room, leaving Kohoshi to sit by herself in a quiet corner of the room. There were 6 customers in the room, all men and above 40. 3 geishas were already in the room when Kohoshi arrived: 2 geikos and 1 maiko. The geikos were mostly chatting with the customers and drank some sake once in a while and the maiko made sure that the cups were always filled with sake. Everyone was very relaxed and at home in the cosy room where candles provided the only source of light. The addition of a doll aroused the curiosity of all the men.

"Did you say your name is Kohoshi? That's a very unusual name." One of the men asked.

"Hei. I had always felt connected with the stars, and so the choice of name." Kohoshi replied as politely as she could.

"You chose the name? How strange. Have the traditions changed, Aki-chan?"

One of the geikos replied, "Not that I heard of." She turned to Kohoshi, "Who is your Onee-san? I don't seem to know that there is anyone with the name of 'Ko'."

"I don't have an Onee-san." She replied which caused the geishas to gasp loudly. Although Kohoshi was slow, she knew that she should have given an indirect answer.

Thankfully, before the geishas and the customers could say anything else, the paper door slid open and a geiko with exquisite ruby red eyes entered the room.

"Okini!" She sang and fluttered into the room like a butterfly. Pouring sake for the guests, she made short chats and sang two koutas for the men. Before Kohoshi could make out who this charming lady was, she was out of the room. The entire performance did not last more than 10 minutes.

Without her, the room seemed duller, but the party continued and more sake was consumed. Soon, the men became so drunk that some even lied on the tatami floor and slept then and there! The party was officially over and the geishas helped the men with their coats and shoes and sent them home on their huge private cars.

Kohoshi then left the room when the maids came in to clean up the mess of the party. As instructed, she went to the waiting room and found Syaoran sitting in there, playing a soft tune on his shamisen. She may not be an expert in music, but the sadness that each note presents was so clear that Kohoshi could feel the tears welling in her eyes involuntarily.

It was only after Syaoran finished playing when he realized that Kohoshi was standing at the door all this while.

"How was the banquet?" He asked, putting his instrument down.

"There were lots of drinking and talking and there was a geiko with the most charming ruby red eyes…"

"You've met here already?"

Kohoshi nodded, already knowing that she must be a really skilful geiko to light up the room the moment she stepped in.

"That's Meiling, the top geiko in the hanamachi a.k.a. the greatest rival you will ever have. We'll talk more about her later back in the okiya. For now, I should get you to the next banquet." Syaoran then dragged her to the room where she was supposed to make an appearance.

Just as how Oka-san Kikuko had done, Syaoran slid open the door and greeted the people in the room. "Please pardon my intrusion, May I introduce the new minarai from my house, Kohoshi-san."

Kohoshi entered the room and bowed. At the same time, she noticed that the lovely red butterfly was also in the room.

"From your house, you say?" Meiling asked.

"Yes, Meiling-san. Please offer her your teachings." And with a bow, Syaoran left the room.

Kohoshi went to a quiet corner and sat there to observe the banquet. In this room, there were only four guests and yet have 6 geikos and 2 maikos entertaining the party. From the food, the decoration of the room and the ratio of guests to geishas, Kohoshi concluded that these guests must be very important or/and very rich.

"Who was that, Meiling-chan? I've never seen a man appearing in a party like that before." The host of the party asked curiously.

"That was Otou-san Li. He inherited Oka-san Yelen's okiya when she passed away few years ago but there were no geishas attached to the okiya and so we were all surprised that he presented Kohoshi-san." Meiling replied, looking at the quiet doll when the name was mentioned.

The guests all nodded in understanding. The guest-of-honour was particularly interested in the new minarai and motioned her to sit beside him. Kohoshi obeyed although her knowledge told her that as a minarai, she should never participate in the banquet.

"Your eyes are the loveliest shade of green!" He exclaimed when he saw the close up of the young minarai. The other guests, upon hearing his comment, flocked to the girl to see her marvellous jewels.

"It's incredible! I've never seen green eyes before, not even the foreigners have green eyes! Mei-chan, your ruby eyes have lost to these precious emeralds." One guest commented.

Slightly soured by that comment, Meiling poured sake for that customer and said, "Geishas are not just about their eyes, Yoshiro-kun. She must have talents as well. Why don't we get Kohoshi-san to play the shamisen for us?"

Both the guests and the other geishas cheered in reply and Meiling went to fetch the shamisen that was displayed at the far end of the room.

"I really can't play…" Kohoshi's voice trembled slightly.

"Now, now, Otou-san Li was a great shamisen teacher; surely he would have taught you how to play the shamisen." Meiling pushed on.

Kohoshi shook her head slightly, tears threatening to fall, when the door slid open and saved her.

The maid at the door announced, "It is time for Meiling-san to leave for her next appointment. Also, Otou-san Li needs Kohoshi-san to leave. He apologises for any disruptions caused."

The two geishas and the maid bowed and left the banquet.

"Okini, Otou-san Li! It's been a long time since we had tea together. Perhaps I could drop by tomorrow and we can chat like old times?" Meiling suggested when she saw Syaoran in the waiting room.

"It would be great, but my new minarai has took up all my time." Syaoran replied.

Meiling glared briefly at Kohoshi, "What a pity…I have to go. Goodbye." She bowed and left the ochaya.

Syaoran and Kohoshi also went back to the okiya. Back in the comforts of home, Naoko dressed Kohoshi out of her work clothes while Rika served the two of them supper and tea. Over supper, Kohoshi told Syaoran of her encounters in the banquets in great details.

"You did well, considering it's only your first day at work. I just didn't expect that you will meet Meiling so soon. Thank goodness the maid told me that you are to perform, or else I would not have been able to save you in time."

"Do you know her well? That Meiling-san." Kohoshi asked.

"She was my student when I was still a shamisen teacher. We grew close for a while when I took her as my most talented student. That was until I inherited this okiya and the hanamachi isolated me."

Kohoshi kept quiet. The subject of Syaoran being an unwanted man in the hanamachi had created an awkward atmosphere. The two just finished their food and tea in silence and went to bed.

The next morning, the sound of sliding doors and a panicky voice woke Kohoshi up from her dreams.

"Wake up, hoshi-san! Wake-up! It's already 6.30! You're late for the morning prayers! Wake up!"

Kohoshi stood up immediately and rushed to the prayer hall where Syaoran had already finished his prayers.

"Kneel here and pray for forgiveness for 1 hour. No breakfast for you today."

She groaned and knelt in front of the altar, feeling the hunger strongly, especially when the smell of food floated into the room. 1 hour later, Kohoshi dragged her tired and hungry body back to her room to change into her training kimono. Naoko came in to help with the dressing and secretly smuggled in rice balls.

"Arigatou! Naoko-san and Rika-san, I don't know how I would do without you!" Kohoshi exploded with delight before stuffing herself with the delicious rice balls Rika had made.

After taking an unusually long time to change, Kohoshi went to the training room to report for lessons.

"I'm sure that, after yesterday's trauma, you would want to start arts training. During these two months, I will teach you koutas and dance and, if there is time to spare, shamisen. For dance, you will first learn the different forms for 2 weeks, then, before you go for mass rehearsals in the dance hall, we will link the forms together to form the dances."

Syaoran then took out a fan and handed it to Kohoshi.

"Fans are very important as a prop in dance. It can represent a bowl of rice, an umbrella, a sword, and anything else. The trick of displaying so many different objects with just one is how the dancer holds it. For example, when you hold an open fan horizontal to the ground, it is a box of makeup. If you close the fan and wave it around in swift, crisp movements, it is a sword. If you hold a closed fan to your month, it is a flute. Get it?"

Kohoshi nodded, showing that she understood his words. And for the rest of the morning, Kohoshi had learned most of the moves which represents objects. It was to be the easiest part of learning dance. After lunch, Syaoran continued on the second part of fans. By now, Kohoshi was so tired that the crisp movements had been reduced to fluid-like swirls.

"Hold your hand up, raise the fan to your shoulder-level then twirl around from your right."

Kohoshi imitated Syaoran's movements but she didn't have enough strength to hold the fan high up. By the end of the twirl, the hand holding the fan had dropped to waist-level. He made her repeat the action several times, but the results got worse each time.

"Stop that! Stop what you are doing! What's wrong? You were doing just fine in the morning. Why all the problems now?" Syaoran yelled in frustration.

"I'm too tired to raise my hand. Can we do something else? You said something about singing, can we do that instead?" Kohoshi pleaded while massaging her sore arms.

"No. Once you start rehearing with the other geishas, the practices could take one entire day with hardly any breaks. You must train yourself to last that long." Syaoran explained the reasons for having long training hours.

"But this is only my first day into dance! Please, just this once. You can lengthen the hours bit by bit as the time goes by, but for now, I simply can't move my arm anymore!" She exclaimed pitifully.

"Fine! Just this once. But if I find that you are not working hard on koutas, then we will go back to learning dance." Syaoran said, feeling like he was making a deal with a 10-year-old.

They put their fans away and Syaoran started his opening speech. "Ko-utas, as its name implies, are short songs accompanied by the shamisen. They are the most common type of songs to be sung in banquets since most of our customers know how to sing them. Although you are to be an odoriko (a geisha who specialises in dance), you are also expected to be able to sing and play on shamisen, the widely known koutas."

Syaoran then took out his shamisen and sang a popular kouta. The high screeching took some time to get used to, but even Kohoshi could tell that Syaoran was a very good singer.

"Now," Syaoran gave her a book of kouta lyrics, "you try. Just sing along with me." And Syaoran sang the same song over and over again for Kohoshi to imitate. Normally, geishas don't learn kouta in classrooms. Because this type of songs is so common, geishas are expected to pick it up in banquets. However, Kohoshi doesn't have the luxury of time, nor does she have the foundation of singing, so Syaoran had to use this method of teaching.

Kohoshi tried her very best to sing along, but no matter what she do, she just couldn't get her voice to resemble the traditional singing voice. (Traditional Japanese songs are different from modern singing. One characteristic which I found interesting after listening to several koutas, is how the geisha pushes her voice to be low, yet be able to create the 'screeching' and also reach the higher notes.)

After just one hour of lesson, considerably shorter than the dancing hours, Syaoran announced the end of lesson.

"Singing lessons are kept short to protect your voice. For homework, you will memorise today's song lyrics by heart by tomorrow. For dance, do the same with the fan actions. We'll touch on them again tomorrow."

"There's homework? I hardly have time to rest!" Kohoshi complained, still feeling the soreness of her arms.

"Don't complain!" Syaoran snapped. "Geishas are very self-disciplined. They never complain. Moreover, it's only 3, plenty of time before work."

Having received such warning, Kohoshi took note never to complain to him, ever!

The poor girl practiced in her room as hard as she could until Tomoyo came to dress her at 5pm.

"Time to change, Kohoshi-san." Tomoyo said when she and Chihara enter the room with the full minarai gear.

"Hei."

Tomoyo noticed the sad tone, "What's wrong? You don't look so genki (energised) today."

Kohoshi told her about her failed attempt to sing kouta.

"Why don't you roll your tongue and sing in a low voice? Many people thought that they have to 'scream' the screeching parts, but they were wrong. Just keep your tongue rolled up and your voice really low at all times and you will get the right effect."

Kohoshi tried and, thanks to Tomoyo, she succeeded!

"I don't understand, why didn't Otou-san tell me this method? Did he just want to watch me suffer?" Kohoshi asked about Syaoran's strange behaviour.

"I'm sure that wasn't the reason. I think that many teachers like him grew up hearing these koutas and just picked them up. He knows that it can be done, but didn't know how to break the method up into simple steps. It would be the same if I ask you how to talk. It would be very difficult for you to break it into small simple steps too, right?"

"You're right! I must have thought too much. By the way, do you know the geiko, Meiling-san?" Kohoshi asked, listing the other person who seems to be mean to her.

"You know her?" Tomoyo asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I met her last night. I almost got into trouble because she made me play the shamisen."

"That means that she knows you are under Otou-san Li. One advice: stay away from her as much as possible."

Kohoshi wasn't surprised by the advice, but wanted to know more about this character. "Why? She is so nice to the other geishas."

"Your Otou-san didn't tell you? Meiling-san loves him, but he doesn't return her feelings. Years ago, when he had just taken over the okiya, there were 6 geikos and 3 maikos attached to this house. But the jealous Meiling-san used her position as the top geisha to force all of them to leave the okiya. She wanted to make him give up the business and return to her, but he had other ways of making a living and could support himself and the okiya without problems. Over the years, there were one or two girls who wanted to get attached to the house, but Meiling-san spread rumours around the hanamachi. In the end, those girls left before they even became maiko."

Kohoshi gasped at the ugly truth behind that pretty face and charming conversation. That mask had fooled all the guests! If only they know how horrible the wolf under the sheepskin is!

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**To be continued **

**AN: **Another chapter! After watching the movie, I thought 'Memoirs of a Geisha' was an excellent protrayer of the secret flower and willow world. But please note that it was afterall a hollywood movie. To them, profit is more important than accurate infomation, and so, one must always keep in mind that not everything in the movie is true to life. If you are really interested in geisha, I recommand the book : 'Mineko Iwasaki'. It is a wonderful book which contains all the facts one would like to know, all presented in an autobiography form. And if that is not enough to interest you, well, Mineko Iwasaki is a real geisha who provided the infomation of geisha to Authur Golden for his bestseller. Interested yet?

Please do review! My goal is for this story to have 10 reviews per chapter. Help me achieve this goal. REVIEW!


	4. Mizuage?

**My Fair Geisha**

By: sakuraflowergal

**Chapter 4: Mizuage?

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"How old are you, Kohoshi-chan?"

Meiling asked the minarai as she poured sake for a guest.

"19, Onee-san." Kohoshi replied and served sake to a guest sitting beside her. Now in the later stage of minarai, Kohoshi was given the task of serving sake and empting ashtrays while observing. It didn't seem like a tough job to outsiders, but it took Syaoran several hours to train her in the art of serving drinks since different alcohol would need to be served in a different way.

"19? Aren't you a bit too old for minarai?" One elderly geiko asked in puzzlement.

"Oh, Miko-san, one can never be too old for anything! Just last week, I heard a 50-year-old lady give birth to a healthy baby!" The guest commented, saving Kohoshi's embarrassment.

"Indeed. Well then, do you think anyone is ever late for her mizuage? From the looks of it, yours will take place when you're 22!" Meiling exclaimed with a laugh.

Not knowing what mizuage was, Kohoshi didn't know how to respond. In the end, she just smiled slightly and used her fan as a cover. Knowing Meiling, what ever she said must have been no good to her.

"Oh my, is she even intact to begin with?" Another geiko, whom Kohoshi later learned to be Meiling's friend, attacked her purity.

"Girls, leave her alone. It is too cruel a thing to say!" The guest-of-honor stopped the conversation.

"Don't be so sensitive, Waka-sama. She only meant it to be a joke!" Meiling stood out to protect her friend.

"Mei-chan, I do remember about a certain rumor floating around when it was your mizuage…" He teased.

Kohoshi took her chance to bite back. "What was it, Waka-sama? Please indulge me with your teachings."

"Please, Waka-sama, it's not worth mentioning after so many years." Meiling pleaded.

"Girls, always keep in mind how powerful words are. It can bring a man to fame, or a woman to death. Jokes are fine, but never go overboard."

"Hei." All the five geishas echo in reply.

The entire topic of mizuage was dropped, and the room was filled with a stiff silence.

"Look how gloomy the entire room has become. Yuko-san, why don't you dance for us?" The host suggested.

"Me?" The junior maiko was flattered. "How can I embarrass myself in front of the talented Meiling Onee-san?"

"Yuko-san, just dance with your spirit! No dance is better than one which was performed with the soul." Meiling encouraged the 15-year-old.

With the encouragement, Yuko stood up and went to a corner of the room where a gold screen was placed at to use as the stage. The elderly geisha, whose name was later known to Kohoshi as Raichi, went beside the stage to play the shamisen for the dance.

The dance was about an unfulfilled love between a courtesan and her lover. Being bonded to her house with a huge debt, she was unable to marry her lover, and so, in order to prove her love for the young man, she committed suicide in the great Kamo River. The tragedy ended with Yuko fluttering her fans to represent snow falling from the sky as the lover joined her in eternal peace.

Everyone applauded when Yuko bowed. She wasn't a good dancer, her fluid movements were far from perfect, but the emotions she brought out during the dance was able to provoke tears from even the most cold-blooded man.

"Wasn't it beautiful? I'm sure Yuko-san will get the lead role in the upcoming royal party." Meiling announced aloud. Kohoshi smiled, but she got Meiling's message: I challenge you to win Yuko and get the lead role.

"Always expect the unexpected, Meiling Onee-san. No one can ever be sure who gets the lead until the audition."

Meiling smiled slyly at Kohoshi before leaving to join the next party.

(I know that I'm making it seem as Kohoshi is actively participating in banquets even when she is only still a minarai, but in actual fact, other that Meiling, no one else really bother with Kohoshi. And since those parties without Meiling were pretty insignificant, I will not describe how they went.)

The minarai week passed like a flash of lightning. Very soon, Kohoshi would debut as the newest Maiko in the hanamachi. While Kohoshi spent her time sitting in banquets to observe, Syaoran was zipping all around to prepare for the debut.

"Otou-san, what's mizuage?" Kohoshi asked suddenly during the morning dance lesson.

"What!" Syaoran responded loudly as he stopped dancing. This is very unlike him because he was always able to multi-task.

"It came up in conversations more than a few times already."

Syaoran paused and motioned Kohoshi to sit in front of him. "Firstly, don't be mistaken. Mizuage is not a common topic of conversation, but I guess that since you're so old, it would be a source of curiosity."

"What is mizuage? What does age have to do with it?" Kohoshi commented lightly.

"Mizuage is a ceremony whereby the highest bidder will get to deflower a virgin maiko. Most girls have their mizuage when they are 16, some even earlier, and so, you are considered very late for mizuage."

"What! How come you've never mentioned it before?" Kohoshi screamed as loud as she possibly can.

Syaoran winced at the horrible noise and waited until the girl calm down before answering the question.

"That's because you are not to have mizuage. Firstly, you may not stay in the hanamachi for long, and so it would be too unreasonable to force you to go through the ceremony. Secondly, you are far too old for mizuage, not at all attractive too. Thirdly, your time as a maiko is too short to attract any bidders at all. And lastly, you may not even be a virgin to begin with. All these add up to a definite answer, doesn't it?"

Kohoshi snorted, "If it wasn't because all these insults spared me from mizuage, or I'll probably hit you real hard!"

"I should thank the gods then…By the way, your debut will be on next Tuesday, and the audition for the dance is on Thursday. You only have few more days to practice. To add on, you will be very busy during the first few days of your debut, visiting as many ochayas as you can and asking favors from everyone in the hanamachi, including the rickshaw pullers."

Kohoshi sighed softly. Every time she feels that she is getting used to being busy, her schedule becomes even tighter. And before she even has the time to prepare, her debut happened, all too soon.

"I'm Kohoshi, please indulge me with your teachings."

As promised, Tomoyo prepared an exquisite formal black kimono with patterns of stars made of real silver threads. Wrapped around her waist was a long golden obi with matching star patterns. Even the usual flower theme hair ornaments were replaced with new star-shaped pins and combs.

As beautiful as she looks in her new wardrobe, after a night of wondering around the hanamachi and begging indulgence from everyone they see, Kohoshi is starting to feel weighed down by the rich fabric and glittering jewels.

"Otou-san, can we rest for 5 minutes? I'm really tired!"

"No." Syaoran replied firmly.

"But we've been to every where already! Can't we just take a break for a few minutes?"

"No."

For two nights, Syaoran will bring Kohoshi around the hanamachi to introduce her to the ochayas and everyone important. In normal circumstances, it would be months before everyone in the hanamachi knows a new maiko since they are obliged to stay for at least an hour before moving on to the next ochaya. But for Kohoshi, Syaoran had decided to skip past the practice of staying for one hour. Instead, they will parade around to give everyone a chance to know the new maiko.

Once, when they went to visit Syaoran's neighbor, an old lady opened the door and invited them in for tea. She was the Oka-san of the okiya and was Meiling's mother.

"Li-san, why isn't Kohoshi-san's Onee-san here with her?"

"Oh, Kohoshi-san doesn't have one. It didn't seem right to get her an Onee-san when her stay may be as short as 2 months." Syaoran replied politely.

"How would Kohoshi-san learn if she doesn't have an Onee-san to look after her in the banquets? I'm sure Li-san is a great trainer, but that doesn't allow you to sit in the parties and teach her things. Please take my advice; an Onee-san will do much good to her career."

Syaoran thought for a while, apparently he had never thought about having someone in the banquet to teach Kohoshi the practical aspects of a geisha.

"Would anyone be willing to take Kohoshi-san? She would not stay for long, and her little earnings could hardly be considered as an attractive incentive."

The Oka-san smiled kindly. Syaoran's mother was her best friend and so it was almost her duty to help the ambitious man in fulfilling his dreams.

"Would you accept my humble offer, Meiling-san can be Kohoshi-san's Onee-san."

Blood instantly drained out of Syaoran's face. Indeed, if the same offer is given to any other girl, she would have accepted it with nothing but a smile. However, Kohoshi is no other girl in the hanamachi, she is Meiling's rival. No one can predict how Meiling would react to the new relation. Will she be a responsible person and not let her feelings get to her duty? Or will she take advantage of the situation and destroy Kohoshi?

"Please, Otou-san, we shouldn't trouble Meiling Onee-san at all." Kohoshi mumbled softly, but still loud enough for Syaoran to hear.

Syaoran smiled slightly as he realized that Kohoshi had learned more than music and dance in the past week. She is now a full fledge geisha, one who has mastered the art of conversation and is able to turn any situation to her advantage. In that moment, Syaoran was sure that Kohoshi would manage well even without an Onee-san.

"Indeed, Meiling-san is already busy with her own younger sister, Yuko-san, I should not ask favors from her at all. Kohoshi-san may not be bright, but I'm sure she can manage on her own. I thank you for your generous offer."

"If you're sure… But if you ever change your mind, please call me." The Oka-san said.

"Of course." Syaoran bowed, then stood up to leave.

At the doorway, Syaoran readjusted Kohoshi's long obi and held her hand so that she can slip into her tall okobos steadily. All this was witnessed by Meiling when she and Yuko entered the okiya.

They all bowed to each other as a greeting and Meiling immediately launched into attack mode.

"Kohoshi-san! What a pleasant surprise, it seems like only last week when Oka-san Kikuko introduced you as the new minarai. How time flies!"

"Meiling Onee-san, it was last week. Or perhaps your memory is failing you." Kohoshi commented with a smile.

Meiling turned sour, "I'm sure that's not the case. I clearly remember that tomorrow is the audition for the royal ball."

"My mistake, Onee-san. And I wish you luck for the audition. Even the most beautiful geisha can't get the lead role if she can't dance!"

Seeing that it's time to intervene before the girls start cat fighting, Syaoran apologized for having to stick to tight schedule and ushered Kohoshi out of the house.

**

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Time Gap

"The loveliest eyes I've ever seen…" murmurs like such could be heard floating around while Kohoshi walked to the dance studio for her audition. She's been practicing all night in hope to get the lead role. If she isn't chosen for one of the 2 lead roles in the dance, the entire bet would be over.

"Girls, you may practice in the dance studio. When it is your turn, Sensei Sakiko will call your name and bring you to the examination hall."

"Hei." Everyone bowed and they each gather into their own small groups to practice, leaving Kohoshi alone in one corner.

Almost every geisha has come for the audition. The youngest of them all was a 14-year-old maiko and the oldest being a 32-year-old geiko. Just down the hallway, another audition is held to choose musicians and singers. Several geishas who wanted to audition for both music and dance had to walk to and fro the two studios to check if it's their turn yet.

Apparently, the audition for dance is based on seniority and this leaves Kohoshi last in the waiting line. (Seniority in the Geisha world is based on the time of debut, not age.) By the time Kohoshi is called in for her dance, everyone is hungry and tired of seeing the same dance over and over again. The lead roles must have already been more or less decided.

"Kohoshi desu, yoroshiku onegai shimas! (Same meaning as 'please offer me your teachings')"

"Please perform for us, 'The Cherries of the Capital'" One of the 3 judges said.

Kohoshi bowed in reply and the music for the dance started. Describing the meeting of a young girl and her first love during spring, the dance is cheery and romantic. It's the most simple of the 3 dances the odorikos (dancing girls) were asked to prepare, and according to Syaoran, it is used to decide if the girl gets to be in the dance.

Kohoshi marked a perfect ending to 'The Cherries of the Capital' and bowed to the judges. Although it is really tempting to see how the judges have reacted to her performance, Kohoshi kept her head to the floor and waited for the next instruction.

"Wonderful performance, please move on to 'Gion's autumn leaves'" The head judge said.

Kohoshi looked up in surprise. 'Gion's autumn leaves' is a tough piece which is used to decide if the dancer is fit for the lead role and is seldom performed unless the girl is a master in dance. Kohoshi was not sure how to react since both Syaoran and her had expected the judge to request for 'The sorrows of Kamo', the same dance which Yuko had performed just days earlier. After hesitating for few seconds, she noticed that the judges were looking at her kindly and she decides to do as requested.

In perfect crisp movements, Kohoshi acted out the story of a kind mother sending her only son off to Tokyo for university. This piece is difficult because most geishas had never experienced such emotions before. Moreover, this is an advanced piece, giving the dancer a rare freedom to change the original moves of the dance to express herself better.

Somehow, one way or another, Kohoshi finished her dance even before she realized that she started it. Whatever she had performed was not registered in her brain at all, only one brief moment when she peeked at the judges and saw stunned looks. Other than that, it was as if she had not even been to the audition.

"How was it?" Syaoran asked when he saw that Kohoshi had returned the dance studio.

"I don't know."

Before the man can ask further, a woman in ruby red kimono commented, "Oh, don't be too sad. You'll get another chance to perform in the annual Spring Dances."

"Meiling-san, that wasn't very nice of you. Who are you to judge if Kohoshi-san managed to get in or not?"

Meiling smiled, as coincidentally, it was also the time when the result of the audition is announced.

"After much discussion, we now have the final result of the audition for the Royal Performance" Sensei announced to all the geishas from both the music and dance categories.

"The leads for the Royal Dance will be Meiling-san and Kohoshi-san…"

Other than that, Kohoshi could hear nothing else. She has got the lead role!

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**To Be Continued**

**AN: It's a long time, isn't it? Well, that's what you get when there are not enough reviews to clear my head of writer's block. I've just started a forum on the topic of geisha, so if there is anything you want to know about geisha, feel free to post the question up there. But please, review first before you click away from the page!**


	5. Touya Onichan!

**My Fair Geisha**

By: sakuraflowergal

**Chapter 5: Touya-Onichan!

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**

"Alright girls, let's start practice!" Sensei Sakiko motioned for the shamisens to start playing.

There are about 2 hundred geikos and maikos involved in this mass dance which will be the first item in the Royal Performance. They come from all over the country, Tokyo, Osaka, etc. It is a great honor to perform for the royal family and no one is going to miss it just because they stay somewhere outside of Kyoto.

"1, 2, 3, jump, jump, twirl…" Commanding words like such gives the odorikos the cue when to jump or flip their fans. Everyone, except the leads, can be seen dancing on the large platform which serves as the stage

In a small room just beside the theater, the chief instructor hands Kohoshi and Meiling each a small booklet. "This is the storyline for the dance. Being advanced odorikos, you should be able to perform this free-style. If you need anything, feel free to come to me for advice."

After giving them vague instructions, she left them alone in the room.

"Since you're younger, I'll let you choose your role." Meiling offered 'kindly'.

"How could I, Onee-san! You should be the one assigning roles, not me." Kohoshi replied with hidden needles in her voice.

"Hmm… well then, you will take the role of theyounger sisterwhile I will be the elder one. If you object, we can always switch over."

"I'm okay with the arrangements."

Meiling gave a smile before walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Kohoshi can't help but be alarmed that Meiling is leaving her alone in the room. She has hardly been to the Dance Hall for more than 2 times and is quite uncertain if she wants to be left alone in the unfamiliar place.

"I'm going to practice, of course. We are advanced dancers; we should have time to ourselves so that we can formulate our own dance steps." Then, Meiling left the room, leaving poor Kohoshi alone in the room.

Suddenly, the small room with low ceilings and tiny windows seem so cold. Kohoshi couldn't bear to stay alone, especially in such rooms, in fear that she will recall her sad past.

**

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**

Flashback

"Sakura! Sakura! Where are you?" A male's voice rang around the small wooden hut that is located in the poverty districts.

The young 10-year-old trembled in the dark, hiding quietly under the table which was actually just an overturned wooden crate.

"Sakura! I order you to come out now!" The man continued yelling.

Young Sakura remained as still and as silent as she can, hoping that her brother could not find her this time. But as the sound of footsteps grow louder and louder, Sakura knew that she has failed.

"There you are!" Touya announced as he lifted the crate and found his sister there. He threw the 'table' to one side, crashing the only cup of the house which used to stand beside the wall. Grabbing the girl with one hand, he immediately raised the other and slapped her hard.

"How dare you ignore me? You should have been gone with Otou-san and Okaa-san long ago, and then I'll be free! If it wasn't for you, I would have ended this terrible life long ago! It is all because of you, I have to continue living in this cruel reality! You!"

Touya raised his hand again for the next assault, and Sakura protected her head with her hands instinctively. "Don't!"

For a few seconds, Sakura waited for the blow to come. And when it seems certain that it will never come, she lifted her head and saw her brother crying as he hugs his head.

"Oni-chan!" Sakura felt a distinct heartache in her chest and she went forward to hug her brother.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have hit you! I…I…I'll quit drinking! I promise!"

Sakura remained quiet while the tears streamed from her eyes. She knew that her brother had made such promises before and that this one will be just as empty as the ones before. But the girl doesn't want to think about all that now. For now, she just wants to enjoy the peacefulness and the love her brother have for her. All else can be left till later.

**End of Flashback

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**

Kohoshi sighed at that memory. Things have always been like that since her parents died in the terrible flood; her brother will drink and then come home to hit her. When he wakes up from the alcohol, he will regret and cry and promise to quit drinking, though he never did. Just few months ago, her brother got so drunk that he tried to rape her. That was the last straw, and she ran away from home.

"Kohoshi-san!" Naoko's call brought her back to the real world.

"Naoko-chan! Why are you here?"

"Otou-san sent me to bring you back since it's raining outside." Naoko replied, pointing to the small window.

'I totally didn't realize that it was raining! I shouldn't have wasted the day by thinking about the past.' Kohoshi thought with regret.

"Kohoshi-san, it's 4 pm already. Perhaps we should rush back to prepare you for work."

"You're right."

As the two girls approach the okiya, Kohoshi saw a bicycle parked outside the door.

"Otou-san has a visitor?" She asked.

Naoko replied, shaking her head, "It's not a visitor. It's a repairman. The rain was rather heavy just now and it tore a hole through the roof."

As soon as they enter the house, Syaoran called, "Kohoshi, Naoko! Come up here and help!"

Naoko gave Kohoshi a look, "Did I mention that your room is now filled with water?"

The girls went up and found the entire floor soaked in rainwater. "The tatami mats are ruin." Kohoshi commented when she saw the mess. She was glad that Naoko's a hardworking girl and had already stored all the precious kimonos into water and fire proof boxes.

"Collect all your things and put it into that box. "Syaoran ordered, pointing to an old kimono box beside the mirror.

"This is done. I'm certain that this patch of the roof will not leak again for the next three years." The repairman stated plainly as he descend the ladder. He kept his tools neatly in the toolbox and stood up to leave and that was when Kohoshi got the shock of her life.

"Oni-chan!"

The man squinted his eyes and took a closer look. "Sakura! What are you doing here?"

"Hmm…" Syaoran started, "Perhaps we should talk over tea."

The three of them settled down in the Living Room on the ground floor where Rika served cups of jasmine tea in western teacups imported from Europe.

"So…" Touya had a sip of tea before continuing, "What are you doing here?"

Syaoran held back his laughter, but not the smile. "I'm surprise you haven't guessed it yet, or are you just in plain denial?"

Touya presented his death glare although he didn't receive the desired effect; Syaoran continued mocking him.

"Go on, Kohoshi-san, give him the solid truth."

Touya gave her the explain-everything-now look but waited patiently for her to speak.

"Oni-chan, I…I…I am a…a…geisha." Kohoshi mumbled and stuttered her way through.

The reaction, though expected, was still pretty shocking to everyone else in the room.

"Geisha! You became a prostitute! Why? Was it the silk kimono? Or the expensive tea? Or that $500 (a very large sum of money before the inflation during the war) you sent home?"

Kohoshi must have shaken her head so hard that it might just fall off her neck. "No, Oni-chan, listen to me!"

"I believe you. My Sakura will never sell herself for money. Then…it must be you!" Touya yelled and grabbed Syaoran by the collar.

Touya punched him hard at the eye and raised his fist for another, but Kohoshi went between them to stop the fight.

"It's not Otou-san! I didn't sell myself for anything! My job as a geisha does not include prostitution! How could you ever think that I will sink to such a low level?"

"Kohoshi-san, you stand aside, let me deal with him." Syaoran pushed Kohoshi away and raised his fists in defense.

"Otou-san? Kohoshi-san? Sakura, you've even changed your name and called a stranger father, what else can you not do?"

"Oni-chan! I…" Kohoshi tried to argue her point but was cut off by Syaoran.

"Get out of my house now! You came here and upset my girl, and I won't allow that to happen! I don't care if you're her brother, as long as you upset my household and hold disrespect for me, I won't let you stay here any longer. Get out!"

"Otou-san, Oni-chan! Can't you all listen to me?" The two men quiet down and gave the center stage to Kohoshi.

"Oni-chan, I am not a prostitute now, nor will I ever be. Yes, I used to work for food, for money, and for a home, but now, all that is no longer important. Otou-san needs me to help him and I've come too far to stop now. I won't be a geisha forever, Oni-chan, please wait another month for me. Once I complete my mission, I'll go home with you."

"No!" Touya pulled on Kohoshi's hand, "You're coming home with me and that's final!"

Tired and upset, Kohoshi had no other choice but to use her strongest weapon.

"Oni-chan! You have to let me go! Because you've nearly scarred me 2 months ago!"

The weapon worked and Touya immediately let go of her hand. Without another word, Touya stood up and let the house as if nothing has ever happened. Syaoran was really confused at how the things turned out but he could ask no one as Kohoshi had already escaped into her room.

When Tomoyo and Chihara entered the quiet house, it was rather obvious that something wrong as happened. Normally, Kohoshi would be upstairs practicing her dance or song while Syaoran would play his shamisen or listen to his radio. But today, everything was so quiet that Tomoyo almost thought that they had entered the wrong house.

"Kohoshi-san, are you alright?" Tomoyo asked the girl when she found her in her room, staring into blank space.

"Tomoyo-san? Oh dear, I've lost track of time! We better hurry!" Kohoshi exclaimed when she realized that she was still not prepared for work.

"Are you okay? Something's troubling you, isn't it?" Tomoyo asked.

Kohoshi stopped her mad rush around the room. Instead, she went towards Tomoyo and received a warm hug from her good friend.

"What's wrong? Did something happen during dance practice today?"

Kohoshi started crying and shook her head on that question.

"Tomoyo-san, my Oni-chan came here today, and he thinks that geishas are prostitutes, that I'M a prostitute!"

Tomoyo patted Kohoshi on her back, "My dear, did you explain to him what you really do?"

Kohoshi nodded her head, "I did! But he didn't believe me! Why doesn't he believe that geishas are not prostitutes? We must have chanted that sutra so many times that the whole world should know by now!"

"Kohoshi-san, don't be too sad. It doesn't matter what others think about us, as long as we are true to ourselves, everything else is just rubbish."

Kohoshi nodded her head in understanding and dried her tears.

"Now, let's get you into your kimono; I heard you have quite a banquet tonight: Minister Fukaru's bachelor party!"

"What? The Minister?" Kohoshi shouted in shock.

"Of course. You're getting rather well known as the 'green-eyed maiko', not to mention that you are also the lead in the Royal Party."

Kohoshi blushed and was about to say something when the door slid open.

"I'm sorry for disturbing, Daidouji-san, but I hope you can get her ready in 30mins. We are already running late and I still have some late minute stuff to tell her."

"No problem."

Tomoyo expertly put makeup and wig on Kohoshi while Chiharu busy herself with the kimono and obi. The clothing of the day is a creamy white color with bamboos painted artistically around the hem and the long sleeves. A pale blue, honeycombed obi is wrapped around the waist several times until the ends are just the right length to tie the magnificent knot maikos wear.

"Hmm… is this right? I've never seen anyone worn both the kimono and obi in pastel colors."

"Well, Kohoshi-san, geishas are trend setters, not followers. Just wait and see, the women on the streets will be following the new trend tomorrow."

When the ladies are done with the dressing, they left the girl and Syaoran to be alone in the room.

"Now, I only have 10 minutes for this." Syaoran took a quick look on the clock to ensure that his is right about the time. "Today you'll be attending only one banquet, Minister Fukaru has booked you for the night in his party. There will be many people there in the party, and I want you to do this: When you serve the Minister, don't look at him, if you have to, settle your sight on his clothes. But when you serve the other guests, make an effort to glance towards him a little more often than needed."

"Why? What does this do, Otou-san?"

"I want you to give him the idea that you fancy him; too shy to look at him up close, but couldn't resist glancing back at him ever so often when you're afar."

Kohoshi gasped, "I'll not do that! He's getting married tomorrow and you're telling me to seduce him in his bachelor party?"

"Flirting with the guests is a necessary skill, Kohoshi-san. And since he is getting married tomorrow, even if he is attracted to you, he can't do anything like openly flirt with you since that would probably ruin his reputation. This is the perfect opportunity for you to practice the important skill, but not having to worry about inviting trouble."

"But if he can't react openly to my actions, how would I know if I had succeeded?" Kohoshi asked about the slight contradiction.

"The geishas don't miss anything. If you do succeed, the rumors about your 'affair' with the Minister will be spreading like wild fire tomorrow morning."

"But Otou-san…"

"No more buts! Didn't I say before that geishas don't complain? It seems that you may be a dancer, but you are not yet a full geisha." Syaoran reprimanded.

Later in the evening, Kohoshi has arrived fashionably late for the banquet (later than the host but earlier than the guest-of-honor) and sweep into the room with a cheery 'Okini!"

"Ooo… what's that you're wearing?" The host asks curiously.

"It's beautiful, isn't? Daidouji Tomoyo-san have a really good fashion sense." Kohoshi twirled around, showing off the wearable art to everyone.

"Daidouji-san dressed you?" A question popped from one of the older geikos.

Before Kohoshi could answer that, the door slid open and the guest-of honor joined the party.

"Sorry for being late." Minister Fukaru apologized before taking his seat. "What did I miss?"

"We were talking about Kohoshi-san's kimono, Minister. Don't you think it's rather peculiar that both the kimono and the obi are in pastel colors?"

Kohoshi stood up to give him a better view of the kimono, but looked away quickly when the Minister caught her starring.

"The kimono is lovely." He commented rigidly then turn towards geiko Midori. "Why don't you dance 'Cherry Blossom Dream'? It's a such pity that we can't have the party in spring when the cherry blossoms bloom."

"I have a better idea!" Midori suggested. "Why don't Kohoshi-san and I dance together?"

Kohoshi was alarmed. She had only started dancing 3 weeks ago and so, other than the basics and the dance pieces for the audition, she practically knows nothing else.

"But I don't know how."

The Minister looked slightly offended. "I heard you are the lead for the upcoming Royal Party. It is impossible that you don't know such a common dance."

Kohoshi quickly thought of a way to turn the tables. "If it's such a common dance, then the Minister shouldn't see it at all. You are such an important person and I think you deserves a better treatment. Let me perform for you, impromptu."

The Minister thought for a while before motioning her to start the performance.

Kohoshi got up and whispered the name of the song to the older geiko who was the shamisen player. That song is one of the few pieces which Syaoran always play when he is bored and after some time of listening to the tune over and over again, Kohoshi had mentally choreographed a dance for that song. A dance that was later named as 'Lost in Kyoto', depicting the story of a beggar girl who was picked off the streets to become a geisha.

**

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**

To Be Continued

AN: It's been such a long time... Hope you like this chapter and review my story!


	6. Meiling

**My Fair Geisha**

By: sakuraflowergal

**Chapter 6: Meiling**

The pink ponk of the shamisen could be heard clearly even before she stepped into the room. Meiling had immediately recognized the tune as Syaoran's favorite piece.

'Can it be?' Meiling thought excitedly, 'Is Syaoran the one playing the shamisen?'

Meiling quickly entered the room and was greeted by the sight of Kohoshi dancing to the song. Of course, the shamisen player was not Syaoran, which made it a double disappointment. Kohoshi's pale-colored kimono scheme caught her eyes and she realized that it was completely contrasting her own bright-colored kimono.

"Wonderful performance, Kohoshi-san." She commented when the performance ended, "Even the kimono you wore today suits the beggar theme." She held the soft creamy silk lightly between her fingers, "Look at the color! Was it originally like that? Or did you just think that any old kimono is good enough for the Minister's party?"

Meiling smiled when she saw Kohoshi turn white and bit her lips. 'How dare she? A mere maiko trying to set fashion trends? Who did she think she is?'

Then, she noticed that Kohoshi used an old tactic; for just a few seconds, Kohoshi looked at the Minister with tear-filled puppy eyes before directing her attention to the tatami mats on the floor, like a pitiful girl who got bullied but dare not fight back.

"I think the kimono looks absolutely gorgeous, Meiling-san. At the very least, it looked better than what you're wearing." Minister Fukaru came to her rescue and openly showed his unhappiness with Meiling.

Meiling took back the smile and turned her attention towards pouring sake for the guest beside her. She had taken several days to ensemble the kimono and obi set for this formal occasion. The dark red hikizuri was the newest and the most expensive item in her large kimono collection while the golden obi was a precious family heirloom. And all because of the 'darling' Kohoshi-san, her efforts of trying to please the Minister went to waste!

"There's no need to get angry, Minister, I'm sure that Meiling Onee-san didn't mean any harm." Kohoshi sweet-talked the Minister while still acting the part of an innocent girl.

"I'm not angry, but I do mourn the absence of my favorite cherry blossoms." He sighed and drained the cup of sake.

"There's no need for such sadness, Minister, for I have a gift for you that might help." Kohoshi reached into her obi and took out her name card.

"I'm not supposed to give my name card to anyone yet until my debut as a geiko next week, but I'll make it an exception for you."

Minister Fukaru took the card and inhaled the sweet perfume of cherry blossoms.

"Hmm, such lovely scent! I shall remember you whenever I see the cherry blossoms every spring."

Kohoshi smiled shyly before she moved on to serve another guest. Once in a while, Kohoshi will deliberately turn back to peek at the Minister, just as how Syaoran had ordered her to. Meiling caught every one of those 'longing' looks, and her face turns darker as the night grows later.

It was after 1 a.m. when Meiling finally made it back to her house.

"How was the party?" the maids asked as they helped her change into a comfortable yukata and served her some cold noodles for supper.

"That wretched Kohoshi-san stole all my limelight and flirted with Minister Fukaru. She even attempted to set the fashion trends! Did she really think that she is so popular and so she can win over me? Fat chance! She needs more than pretty eyes and nice kimonos to take the place of the top geisha!"

The next day, Meiling woke up to the noise of the busy streets; the maikos were rushing to the schools for lessons while the maids ran errands. They may be very different; each having their own purpose in life, but one thing was common among them this morning: pale-colored kimonos.

"Ohayo, Meiling-san." The maids entered the room to help Meiling get changed.

She took a look at the kimono that the maids had carried in, and was immediately disgusted.

"Take the kimono away! I'm not following Kohoshi-san's trend!"

"But Meiling-san…"

"Meiling-san," the Oka-san said forcefully, "I specifically picked out that kimono. Wear it!"

"I will not, Oka-san. Kohoshi-san wore those last night! No way will I wear something which she thinks is nice!"

"Well, unless you are able to reset the new trend, wear what that is picked out for you! You are the geisha of my house; you do what I say."

"Demo, Oka-san…" Meiling pleaded. She may be the top geisha now, but she would forever be subjected to her Oka-san's rule.

"No more buts, Meiling-san, wear the kimono and come down for lunch."

"Hei."

Meiling reluctantly put on the kimono and stepped out of the okiya to make her daily rounds around the hanamachi.

"Okini, Oka-san, thank you for last night. Please call me again for my services. Okini!" Meiling goes around the ochayas every afternoon to thank the Oka-sans for the work the previous night before going to the dance school for lessons.

Today is special and more relaxed because there had only been one party the night before, and so, Meiling decided to use the extra time to shop around for new accessories. As she wondered around the streets selling all sorts of fans, hairpins, and other stuff, Meiling spotted a rare figure standing in front of the store selling fans.

"Okini, Otou-san Li, how surprising to find you here!" Meiling greeted cheerfully.

"Konichiwa, Meiling-san. Are you here to buy fans too?" Syaoran replied emotionlessly.

"Just accessories in general. What about you?"

"I'm picking up Kohoshi-san's namesake fans for her debut next week."

Meiling gasped softly, "You came to pick up the fans yourself? Why didn't you ask the maid to do it?"

"Kohoshi-san is the jewel of my okiya. Whether my okiya survives or no depends on her, and so I must check through every detail myself to make sure that nothing goes wrong."

Meiling felt jealousy boiling, 'How come Syaoran never pays attention to me and yet he cares for her so much? What does Kohoshi-san have that I don't possess that made so many men fall for her?'

Meiling took a peek at the namesake fans and noticed that Syaoran had really invested heavily on Kohoshi. The fans were made of a dark blue paper which could shimmer in the light. This could only be done by mixing the blue paint with large amounts of real pearl powder. Meiling was very certain of that because she had wanted her own namesake fans to have the same shimmering effect but it was just too expensive. On the dark background, Kohoshi's name was written with real silver paint, and the fans were scented with the same cherry blossom perfume as the name cards. It was easily the most expensive namesake fan the hanamachi had seen for centuries!

'Really, what did Kohoshi-san do to deserve such good treatment?' Meiling thought bitterly to herself.

After that meeting, Meiling had lost the mood to shop, and so she decided to go to the dance school earlier for practice. This also happened to be a bad choice.

"Did you hear? Minister Fukaru was so entranced by Kohoshi-chan that he almost didn't want to get married this morning!" The older geishas gossiped among themselves when Meiling entered the room.

"Impossible! Minister Fukaru is probably the most stone-like person I've ever met. Other than his favorite cherry blossoms, the minister had never shown affection to anyone or anything else. How can he be attracted by Kohoshi-chan? I mean, she wasn't a maiko until just weeks ago, how did she manage to make the minister fall for her?" The other experienced geiko exclaimed.

"Ha! That shrewd little girl gave the Minister her name card which was scented with cherry blossom perfume. The Minister was immediately attracted to her and even made promises to call for her services again!"

"Hmm… do you think she will have such luck with the emperor?" One of the geishas asked.

"I doubt it. Minister Fukaru doesn't attend geisha parties often since he is always tied down by work. But the emperor is different. His majesty has a geisha party almost everyday. He is so used to geishas that one look and he will be able to identify the professionals and the rookies. Kohoshi-chan will have a hard time trying to fool him."

All the other geishas nodded in agreement and then moved on to other topics. In her heart, Meiling silently cursed Kohoshi for being such an attention seeker. Just when she thought the ordeal was over, the devil stepped into the room.

"Okini, Onee-sans!" Kohoshi chirped as she sank to her knees and bowed to her seniors.

"Ah, you're early today, Kohoshi-chan." The older geisha commented lightly.

"Hei! Otou-san said that I need more practice for my dance, and so I decide to come here earlier." Kohoshi smiled. "Please excuse me, I have to go practice. Okini!"

Kohoshi left the room and went to her personal dance studio to practice. Shortly after that, Meiling excused herself and rushed off to find Kohoshi.

"Ah, Meiling Onee-san." Kohoshi greeted when Meiling opened the door.

Meiling glared at Kohoshi with eyes of jealousy as she marched in and pushed the girl onto the floor. "Who are you?"

Kohoshi frowned at the odd question posted at her. "I'm Kohoshi, Onee-san. Don't you remember?"

"No! Who are you? Where did you come from? Why is it that a girl like you gets everything that I had fought so hard to achieve?" Meiling yelled and she gave Kohoshi a few hard kicks.

"Ahhh…! Onee-san, why are you like this!" Kohoshi started to cry from the pain.

"Answer me! Why are you here? You came out of nowhere and started stealing everything that I have. You stole my fame, my glory, my status as the trendsetter, and now, my position as the top geisha! If that is all, I'll still be fine. But why must you touch Syaoran? My Syaoran! You've only been here for a month and you have already achieved what I have spent all my life to get! Why?" Meiling screamed as she continued her assault on Kohoshi.

"Onee-san, please stop… I beg you!"

"What are you doing to my sister!" Touya roared as he entered the room and pushed Meiling away from Kohoshi. "Sakura, are you okay? Where did she hurt you?"

Kohoshi only shook her head and cried into his arms. "Just take me back to the okiya, Oni-chan."

Touya picked her up and they left the dance school, leaving the wide-eyed Meiling still sitting on the floor.

"Oni-chan, how did you know that I'm in trouble?" Kohoshi asked as they strolled down the streets.

"I followed you all day. I wanted to see for myself what geishas do."

"Geishas are prostitutes, just like you said." Kohoshi said with a snort.

"I'm sorry for what I said. After following you around since last night, I've realized that geishas are mostly decent girls. Which is why I'm letting you stay with him, at least until your 'mission' is over."

Kohoshi smiled and hugged her brother tightly. "Arigatou, Oni-chan."

"Keep away from that girl." Touya warned, referring to Meiling. "If she dares to beat you up today, there is no telling of when she will hurt you again."

"Don't speak of Meiling Onee-san like she is some sort of monster! She is mean to me because she feels that I'm trying to steal Otou-san away from her. She will soon realize that I have no interest in otou-san and she will stop being so nasty to me. In fact, she is a pretty nice girl who simply doesn't know how to handle her emotions well."

"I don't know about that." Touya mumbled.

"After seeing how Meiling treats others, I really feel that Meiling Onee-san is a really nice person."

"Not that. I'm referring to the part whereby you have no interest in him."

Kohoshi gasped, "How dare you tease me! You can be such a bully sometimes!" she playfully punched him on the shoulder.

Touya laughed, although he knew very well that he was not joking before.

When they returned to the okiya, Syaoran was horrified to find Kohoshi injured with bruises all over her back.

"Who did this to you?" Syaoran questioned as Naoko rubbed some medicated oil all over the purple-black patches.

"No one hurt me. It was just a clumsy moment; I fell down when I lost balance in my okobos." Kohoshi lied.

"Nonsense! You've been wearing those for a month. You are so used to it that you can even run in it."

"The floor was slippery then, and I wasn't paying attention and…" Kohoshi argued.

Syaoran sighed. "You would rather lie than tell me who hit you."

"Otou-san…"

"Fine! I won't make you say the name, but promise me that you will be careful not to hurt yourself again. Because every time you injure yourself, I…no, the people who love you will be very worried."

Kohoshi smiled. "Thank you. I'll take care of myself. I promise."

A week quickly passed when there was so much to do, and the time for Kohoshi to mature into a full-fledged geiko had finally arrived!

"Okini! I'm Kohoshi the new geiko. Yoroshiku onegaishimas!" Kohoshi bowed and offered her namesake fan to the Oka-san of the ochaya.

"Well, I hope that you will continue to do well, Kohoshi-san." The Oka-san replied before taking the fan to display it on the wall. Every geisha who entertained in the ochaya before have their namesake fan displayed on the wall. Normally, the newest geiko will have her fan placed right at the bottom. But since Kohoshi was already famous before her debut, the Oka-sans made an exception and displayed her fan at the top of the wall beside Meiling's.

"Otou-san Li called in just now to ask for you, Kohoshi-san. He wants you to return to the okiya as soon as you finish with the fans."

"Hei. If Otou-san calls again, please inform him that I'll be done very soon. Okini!" Kohoshi sang and continued with the fan distribution.

"Otou-san, I'm home!"

Naoko quickly rushed forward to help Kohoshi with her zori (slippers). She whispered softly into Kohoshi's ear, "Otou-san is in the living room with an important guest from Osaka."

Kohoshi nodded to show acknowledgement. After making sure that her attire was neat and proper, Kohoshi entered the living room.

"Let me introduce: Kohoshi-san, this is Eriol from Osaka; Eriol, this is the geisha of my house, Kohoshi-san. Eriol is my very good friend, Kohoshi-san. You'll be interested to know that he will be performing on the Royal Party."

"Honto ni? What is Eriol-san performing?"

"I'm a taikomochi, Kohoshi-san. I'll be doing a story that night and two lively songs if the party becomes dull." Eriol smiled. "Of course, with a roomful of geishas, the songs will probably go to waste."

"Pardon me, but what's a taikomochi? Do you really just play drums?" The confused Kohoshi asked.

Syaoran and Eriol looked at each other and burst into laughter. "That's a good joke, Kohoshi-san, Syaoran must have taught you really well."

When Eriol saw that Syaoran had a funny look while Kohoshi still looked confused, he realized that he was wrong about the joke.

"Erm…Taikomochis are not really drum bearers, just as how maikos are not really just dancing girls. Taikomochi is a male geisha, in fact, geishas were originally male. So I do just about everything geishas do, like dance, sing and tell jokes."

"I see…I'll be looking forward to your performance then, Eriol-san." Kohoshi bowed and excused herself.

"Kohoshi-san," Syaoran called out. "I've cancelled all your engagements for tonight. You'll come with Eriol-san and me to the Kansashi Hanamachi for the night. Daidouji-san is already upstairs with the appropriate kimono."

"Hei."

Indeed, before Kohoshi had even reached the door of her room, Tomoyo had already glided out with the beautiful garment. It was a lovely dark blue yukata with a flowery pattern of plum blossoms. Instead of the usual wig and makeup, Tomoyo had tied her honey brown hair into buns and covered her face with a thin layer of powder.

"Otou-san, is this right? It's as if we are going to…" Kohoshi asked.

"The moonlight festival? Yes, we are going there today. You may see it as a reward for your hardwork." Syaoran smiled.

"Arigatou!"

** To be Continued **


End file.
